Guidelines for Fasting: Many Christians fast by “giving up” something for Lent. Catholics who are fourteen years old and older must abstain from meat (e.g., beef, chicken, etc.) every Friday during Lent, although eggs and dairy products are permitted.

On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics who are eighteen to fifty-nine years old must fast by eating only one meatless meal. Two other small meals are permitted as long as they together do not amount to a full meal (Canons 97, 1251-1252).

For Greek Orthodox Christians’ guidelines for fasting during Great Lent, click here.

Loyola University's Mission Office: Daily Reflectionfor Univeristy employees on themes from the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. Each week there will be time for those who wish to gather during the lunch hour for a short prayer and shared reflections on the insights or fruit of the past week reflections. The daily reflections begin on Monday, February 27. To receive the reflection material and register for the weekly sessions please contact Chris Murphy.

Ignatian Solidarity NetworkReflections: "Rise Up! A Lenten Call to Solidarity." From Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday, they will offer a daily reflection exploring response to injustice through the lens of daily readings and Ignatian spirituality. Uniting voices engaged in work for racial equality, criminal justice reform, alleviation of poverty, and environmental justice, we seek to understand one another’s stories, to individually and collectively rise up to engage in the work of building a more just and peaceful world.

Take time throughout Lent to pray and seek spiritual direction from trusted mentors. Begin the retreat with an opening breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on February 28 or at 8:00 a.m. on March 2. To register, contact Jermaine Pearson.

Learn more about the refugee crisis by watching a documentary that follows four Syrian children from their struggle to live in war-torn Aleppo to the beginning of their new lives as refugees in Germany. You will also have an opportunity to take action to support refugees, including the Louise and Kabwe Family, who are refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo now living in Chicago with support from Loyola University.

March 18 | Praying Through the Darkness: On CampusRetreat10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in Damen 217 and MDS Chapel

Learn how to pray when God seems absent by using time-honored forms of Catholic prayer and meditating on how even the greatest saints kept praying through dark times. Free materials and vegetarian lunch included. Register for free using this online form.

March 21 | Agapé Latté7:30 p.m. in Damen Den

Hear stories of love, faith, and life, and enjoy some coffee, tea, and dessert!

March 22 | Taizé Prayer Around the Cross9:30 p.m. in MDS Chapel

Reflect on the meaning of the cross through word and song during this special ecumenical prayer service.

March 27 | A Night to Remember: The Spiritual Significance of Passover5:00 - 6:00 p.m. in Damen 217

The Jewish holiday of Passover is a family ceremony to retell the Exodus story and renew the covenant. Join us for an interactive explanation of how Jews celebrate Passover and what it is all about led by Hillel's Rabbi Seth Winberg and Anna Weinstein.

March 28 | Candlelit Stations of the Cross9:00 p.m. in MDS Chapel

Pray and sing by candlelight as you retrace Jesus' journey to the Cross with traditional prayers and music.

April 3 | IGNITE Eucharistic Adoration8:00 p.m. in MDS Chapel

Pray before Christ, present in the Eucharist and join others in Christian praise and worship music with the opportunity to go to confession.

April 5 | Taizé Prayer Around the Cross9:30 p.m. in MDS Chapel

Reflect on the meaning of the cross through word and song during this special ecumenical prayer service.

April 10 | Via Crucis7:00 p.m. Begins at MDS Chapel

Join us for the annual bilingual Stations of the Cross Service with a special focus on praying for compassionate immigration reform.

April 12 | Holy Week Confessions7:00 - 8:00 p.m. in MDS Chapel

Prepare for Easter by going to Confession during Holy Week. Multiple priests will be available.

REPEATING EVENTS

Mondays | Evening Prayer (Vespers)5:00 - 5:15 p.m. in MDS Chapel

Join us on Mondays, beginning March 13, for a brief liturgy of psalms, readings, and prayers to mark the evening hour.

Volunteer at St. Thomas of Canterbury Soup Kitchen to prepare, serve, and share a meal. Meet in Damen 232 with your U-Pass, appropriate clothing (no shorts), and closed-toe shoes. For more info, visit LUC.edu/serve.

Unified in Diversity illuminates the Ignatian Family Advocacy Month (IFAM) topic of human migration. Come visit the display of student art that conveys stories of immigrants and refugees, celebrate diversity, and expresses the Catholic Church's call for solidarity with "the stranger."

Lent is a forty day period of time during which Christians devote themselves to prayer, fasting, and works of mercy as a way of preparing themselves to celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection at Easter. Originally a time of preparation for those who would be baptized on Easter, Lent gradually became a time when those who had left the practice of their faith would return to Christ and the Church. Today, Lent offers Christians an opportunity to prepare themselves to recommit to their baptismal promises at Easter by returning to the basic practices of their faith during Lent.

NOW is the time . . .

. . . to pray, fast, and give.

(See 2 Corinthians 6:2a)

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